1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to distributed computer systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a system operable to automatically backup data from a plurality of client computer systems onto one or more storage devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems generally store various types of information, e.g., where the data is stored in files or databases. If a storage device on which the data is stored fails then the data may be lost. Thus, it is often desirable to backup the data stored on a computer system.
Computer systems for large enterprises can include many client computer systems that need to be backed up. Some enterprises use specialized backup servers or backup software which allows administrators to configure backup operations to be automatically run at scheduled times. For example, the administrator may create a backup operation by specifying which client computer systems are to be backed up, the storage device(s) to which the data should be backed up, time and date information indicating when to perform the backup operation, etc.